TOPIC:‌“Millennium - The Coming Reign of Christ”

                  by Rev. Dr. Reg Dunlap

 

TEXT:‌Revelation 20:1-6

 

‌‌“And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years” (v. 4)

 

‌A very intriguing aspect of Bible prophecy is that of the future millennial reign of Christ on this earth. It excited my curiosity so much that I could not resist the impulse to preach upon it. In many scattered passages, written by various authors from one end of the Bible to the other, I came across information of the millennium which I never knew existed.

 

‌We do well to remind ourselves of two important truths in coming to grips with the millennium. First, that God is not through with Israel as a nation, but will one day establish His Kingdom over Israel upon the earth. Secondly, that Christ will one day rule and reign upon this earth in righteousness for a thousand year period. Isaac Watts wrote of the millennial reign of Christ this way:

 

‌‌“Jesus shall reign when-e'er the sun

‌‌Does his successive run,

‌‌His kingdom spread from shore to shore

‌‌Till moons shall wax and wan no more.”

 

‌In view of this great fact that “Jesus Shall Reign,” let me in this message present some truths about the coming millennium.

 

I.

 

‌Let's begin with this: Think of the TRUTH of the millennium. Though the word “millennium” is nowhere found in the Bible, the fact of it is clearly and visibly seen throughout the Word of God. The words “a thousand years” are referred to six definite times by the Apostle John in the chapter before us.

 

‌The word millennium is derived from the Latin words “mille” meaning thousand and “annum” meaning year. Together they mean “a thousand years.” In the Old Testament the millennium is spoken of constantly as a Kingdom by the Old Testament prophets. They testify of a coming Kingdom of peace and righteous. The Apostle Peter speaks of this fact in one of his sermons: “the times of restitution of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the age began” (Acts 3:21).

 

‌Now though some of these prophecies are set forth in obscure language, I believe . . .